Head of Operations / HoO Iraq (f/m/d)

arche noVa e.V. – Initiative for People in Need is an independent non-profit and non-governmental organisation (NGO), with its HQ in Dresden/Germany, working primarily in the field of humanitarian aid, rehabilitation, transitional assistance and development. Our main focus is on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as well as livelihoods and education.
arche noVa is implementing projects addressing the needs of vulnerable people in Iraq since September 2013. For supporting the implementation of arche noVa’s projects in in Iraq we are looking for a

Head of Operations / HoO Iraq (f/m/d)

Under the direct supervision and guidance of the Head of Mission, the responsibilities of the Head of Operations include overseeing the operational departments, teams, tasks and responsibilities related to Finance, Logistics, Procurement, HR and Administration. As a member of the senior management team, the Head of Operations also supports the Head of Mission in other tasks, including strategy development and program coordination. The HoO is based in Erbil, Iraq, with regular visits to project sites in Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk and Diyala governorates.

Start: a.s.a.p.

Your responsibilities

General

• Managing the operations team (HR, Admin, Finance, Procurement & Logistics)
• Ensuring that the operational team supports the implementation of the mission’s strategy to reach its targets and goals in a timely manner and at the quality level required, and that procedures and regulations are implemented in full transparency and in accordance with internal and donor rules
• Developing, ensuring and improving the standardization and efficiency of operational processes and procedures implemented within the organization
• Ensuring effective and regular communication between the operations and programme departments;
• Ensuring the timely reporting of all operations departments’ activities to donors and HQ;
• Supporting and following-up on contractual engagements (rental, vehicles MoUs, registration)
• Building the capacity of the operations and support teams
• Supporting the Head of Mission on any issue required

Administration

• Ensuring that key policies from HQ are implemented, adjusted and updated as required and appropriate to the context, as well as ensuring that staff is aware of and adhering to the global AN policies and procedures
• Developing policies and procedures for the country context where necessary and not available from HQ
• Ensuring that the organization is compliant with regard to legislation in Iraq and regulations stipulated by the HQ in Germany as well as donors
• Establishing and maintaining an efficient internal information management systems
• Managing the guesthouse and all office requirements of the organization
• Liaising with external stakeholders when required, such as auditors, tax offices, donors, etc.

Finance

• Overseeing and providing guidance and support with regard to the managing and day-to-day running of the Finance department
• In coordination with the Finance Coordinator, overseeing the mission’s economy including identification of gaps, financial and procedural risks, and provision of appropriate solutions
• Ensuring compliance with HQ financial guidelines & procedures as well as with donor requirements
• Overseeing and ensuring compliance of interim and final financial reporting to donors
• Maintaining the operational budgets of the organization and preparing the final overall budgets for new project fundraising proposals
• Overseeing the budgets of support departments, improving needs planning and coordination, and contributing to planning needs for new projects with regard to support departments
• Providing technical support and guidance to the Finance team to ensure effective operations of and coordination between budgeting, programme spending and accounting
• Ensure the Finance department is compliant with the tax requirements (deduction and deposit of tax; submitting of tax return or files to tax authorities), as well as with the local social security requirements (deductions and making own contributions, deposit and filing)
• Overseeing the coordination with government authorities for submission of annual accounts
• Overseeing the coordination and liaising with local, external, donor and statutory auditors at HQ

HR

• Overseeing the operations of the HR department
• Ensuring the implementation of relevant national and international staff policies, transparent standardized recruitment processes, staff development, complaint mechanisms, managing leave, allowances and employee evaluations
• Ensuring that the organization is compliant with regard to Iraq Labour Law and employment regulations
• Ensuring the proper inclusion of AN Iraq staff under health insurance scheme
• Liaison with lawyers and security actors with regards to expat visas, residency and other related issues

Procurement & Logistics

• Overseeing the operations of the Procurement & Logistics department
• Ensuring all the relevant policies are in place, including procurement policies and procedures
• Ensuring that contracting is standardized and maintained to be compliant with Iraq legislation as well as HQ and donor requirements
• Ensuring effective operations and coordination between the office management, fleet management, procurement, stock and asset management

Your competences

• A relevant University degree and / or a relevant special vocational training showing a strong thematic background in finance, logistics and procurement or HR or other related studies
• Minimum of 8 years demonstrated experience in either accounting, financial management, logistics and/or HR in the field of humanitarian aid/development cooperation, with more than 4 years in a managerial position
• Demonstrated experience and ability to effectively lead and develop an intercultural team, including through remote management
• Proactive mentality, demonstrated experience and willingness to improve and innovate processes and procedures in related fields
• Experience in budgeting and monitoring of projects
• Experience in capacity building of national teams
• Knowledge of a variety of donors (such as BMZ, UN OCHA Pooled Funds, ECHO, etc.)
• Fluency in English (written and oral)
• Strong sense of accountability and cultural sensitivity
• Willingness to travel to high security locations
• Flexibility, ability to work under stress and capacity to meet tight deadlines

Nice to have:

• Language knowledge in German, Arabic and/or Kurdish
• Awareness of the Iraqi humanitarian, development, security and political context
• Working experience in the MENA region
• Experience in implementing Complaint & Feedback Mechanisms
• Knowledge on cross-cutting issues (such as gender, inclusion and climate change) and best practices of the above-mentioned sectors
• Experiences in authoring policies, procedures and/or proposal

We offer

• Competitive salary according to internal salary scale
• International health and hazard insurance
• Accommodation in the AN shared guesthouses
• 2.5 days leave per month (30 days per year)
• Hardship allowance to support stay outside of the country every 3 months

Duration: 1 year with possibility for extension and a 6 months probationary period

Please note

This position is a non-family duty station.
Accommodation is only possible in the AN guesthouse
Full COVID-19 vaccination require

Location

Iraq, Erbil